Revamped Real Madrid Seeks Winning Start in Mourinho's Second Debut

The second round of Spain's La Liga pits Espanyol against Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. For the clash on August 22, 2026, at 10:30 PM, the visitors from Madrid are playing their first official match of the season. Their opening-round fixture against Real Sociedad was postponed to allow players additional rest after the World Cup. Espanyol, on the other hand, kicked off their campaign perfectly, securing a convincing 3-0 victory against Levante.

Under the guidance of returning head coach José Mourinho, Real Madrid enjoyed a strong, undefeated pre-season. "Los Blancos" drew 2-2 with Fiorentina, followed by a series of victories against Ferencváros (2-1), Deportivo La Coruña (1-0), and Schalke 04 (3-0). In their final warm-up match against the Germans, Kylian Mbappé, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi were on target.

Espanyol played a series of pre-season friendlies, recording draws against Sabadell (1-1), Burnley (2-2), and Middlesbrough (3-3), and suffering a 1-3 loss to Coventry. However, they began their official matches with a decisive 3-0 triumph over Levante in the first round of La Liga.

Real Madrid had an exceptionally active transfer window. The club signed Jan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a record €125 million, along with defenders Marc Cucurella from Chelsea, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, and forward Carlos Espi from Levante. Experienced midfielder Bernardo Silva also joined the squad, and star player Vinicius Júnior extended his contract. The Madrid giants enter the season with ambitions to reclaim the top spot in La Liga and compete for all honors under Mourinho's leadership.

For Espanyol, led by Manolo González, the primary objective for the new campaign is stability in the top flight and building upon last season's performance, relying on their well-drilled squad and organized play.

Espanyol will be without the suspended Leandro Cabrera, as well as injured forwards Javier Puado and Kike García. Head coach Manolo González is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation with Marco Dmitrović in goal, while Álex Calatrava, Tyrese Dolan, and Roberto Fernández will lead the attack.

Real Madrid also has a significant list of absentees due to injury: Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Raúl Asensio, Ferland Mendy, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Endrick, and Thiago Pitarc will all miss the match. José Mourinho is also expected to set up his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Kylian Mbappé spearheading the attack, supported by Vinicius Júnior, Arda Güler, and Jan Diomande, while Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva start in midfield.

In the last five La Liga encounters between the two teams, Real Madrid holds the advantage with four victories, while Espanyol has won one match. The last time the two sides met was in May 2026, when Real Madrid secured a 2-0 away win at Espanyol's stadium.